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Highly curiousIntense and persistentQuestions others including teacherGenerates original ideas and solutionsKeen sense of humorPrecocious behaviorPrefers the company of adultsSelf-critical / worries about fitting inCheck our wiki sites for Parent Resources!

Literary

WELCOME TO THE 4TH GRADE

PARENT INFORMATION

AND CURRICULUM

OVERVIEW

Presented by Mr. Jamison and Ms. FodnessLI/TD Teachers

C O M MC O R E N

OBJECTIVES Present overview of routines and expectations of fourth grade

Present curriculum overview for each content area

Answer questions

ARRIVAL & DISMISSAL 7:15 a.m. - School

opens for students (car riders and bus riders).

7:45 a.m. - Instruction begins and the tardy bell rings. 

Students arriving at or after 7:45 a.m. must be accompanied into the main office to be signed in by a parent/guardian.

2:15 p.m. - End of early dismissals - no students checked out after this point until school dismissal.

2:40 p.m. - End of the school day and dismissal begins.

DISMISSAL CHANGES Dismissal changes MUST be in

writing and submitted to the teacher first thing in the morning.

All other dismissal changes should be directed in writing via fax or emailed to the office to Mary McNeely or Sharon Bryson NOT the teacher.

No parent walk ups for car riders

NEW BREAKFAST PROGRAM

ALL students are provided a FREE breakfast.

Students should arrive by 7:35 to eat breakfast and get to class by 7:45.

Breakfast usually takes 10-15 minutes.

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS Birthday treats should be pre-packaged and

brought to

the classroom. Birthday treats should not be brought to the

cafeteria. Treats will be given out in the classroom

during time chosen by teacher.

COMMON CORE STANDARDS

Adopted as the new North Carolina Standard Course of Study (2012-2013) Requires teaching of higher-level

thinking skills Addresses the instructional needs of

all students Supports integrating the curriculum More in depth overview later

CONFERENCES & DRESS CODES

Conferences: Held towards the end of first quarter. We will be doing student-led conferences. We can also hold conferences by request during the school year.

Dress Code: Set by the district and can be found in the student handbook. Applicable for parents and students.

GRADES

Grading Scale: The following is the 7 point grading scale used by CMS.

93-100 A85-92 B77-84 C70-76 D 0 – 69 F

GRADING WEIGHTS

Classroom Assignments 1 Homework-1 Quizzes-1 Projects 2 Assessments 2Some assignments and/or projects may count

across the subject areas because we integrate in our classrooms. Specific to grade levels.

H.O.P.E CHARACTER EDUCATION New trait each month September’s trait is responsibility. October’s trait is respect. Weekly story with trait Teacher and students model Classroom recognition when traits

demonstrated Monthly pictures taken for display We need your support at home.

H.O.P.E FOR PROBLEM SOLVING H-What happened? O-What other choices could have been made?

P-Pick the best choice. E-Encouragement

MEDICATION Form must be completed and

submitted to health office. Must be prescribed by physician. All medications including cough

drops and lozenges must be written on a prescription form.

PBIS AND BEHAVIOR

Provide school wide expectations so students know what to do in the hall, restrooms, classroom, playground, and cafeteria. (posted in each room)

Behavior plans and recognition may vary

slightly in each classroom, but all include: 1. Redirecting students 2. Written reflections 3. Communication with parents when

needed 4. Student behavior referral to Dean of

Students

PTAo PTA Dues & Fundraisers: Join the

PTA for $5.00. We need your support.

o PTA meetings are generally held on second Thursday of each month.

Fall festival October 25. We need you!

SCHOOL EVENTS Fieldtrips require parent security

clearance. Two fieldtrips planned; subject to

approval and availability Awards programs take place at

the end of 2nd and 4th quarter. Other events will be announced

on wiki pages.

Contains graded work Parent notices Please review and sign

appropriate forms. Return the folder on

Wednesday. Graded work with scores of

less than 80% should be reviewed, signed, and returned on Wednesday.

TUESDAY’S FOLDERS

VISITORS AND VOLUNTEERS

Visitor Policy: By appointment. Parents must sign in at the office and wear a visitor’s badge. Please adhere to school dress code policy.

Volunteers: Must be registered on CMS website for clearance to attend field trips and work with students.

LITERACY Balanced Literacy • interactive read aloud• word work• shared/independent reading• conferring • expectations of students• choosing “just right” books, (lexile,

grade leveled books• parental support at home.

William & Mary Curriculum

• Emphasis on thinking and reasoning• Advance pace of learning• Study selections in a greater depths• Above grade level reading selections• Seminars using Literature Packets and

Jr. Great Books• Shared Inquiry

W & M Strategies used to Analyze Novels Include:

• Literature Webs• Word Maps• Vocabulary Webs• Paideia Seminars• “Change ” theme

connections• Inference Charts• Character Analysis Webs• Book Clubs

JUNIOR GREAT BOOKS

Research shows that Junior Great Books improves reading comprehension, writing, and critical thinking skills.

Exciting literature combined with interpretive activities and Shared Inquiry™ discussion engages all students

4TH GRADE WRITING UNITS Personal Narrative Writing Realistic Fiction The Persuasive Essay Informational Writing Historical Fiction Poetry Literary Essays Research Writing Memoirs

WRITING PROMPT EXAMPLES

Informative Writing: Write an essay about a game in

which you are very knowledgeable. Include details that will explain the game to someone who has never played it. Narrative Writing: Write a story about a time you

learned how to do something. Include details that tell who else was with you, where you were, and how you felt.

Argumentative Writing: Write a piece that states where you think your class should go for a field trip. Include reasons to support your request. Your piece should include an introduction and concluding statement.

MATH - INVESTIGATIONS The focus of instruction in fourth grade is on

mathematical thinking and reasoning. Investigations students:

find more than one way of solving many of the problems they encounter.

reason mathematically and develop problem-solving strategies.

explain and examine their mathematical thinking and reasoning.

represent their thinking using models, diagrams, and graphs.

make connections between mathematical ideas. prove their ideas to others.

MATH CONT. The Common Core concepts for 4th

grade are: Number Sense 0-999,999Multiplication & DivisionArea and PerimeterCoordinate GridsGraphingFractions and DecimalsAlgebraGeometry

Math Enrichment•Sunshine Math•Mozart Math•Dyna-Math•Daily Math Practice•Problem Solver 4-5•Math Olympiads•Mental Math Practice•Real Life Math Mysteries

SOCIAL STUDIES North Carolina Geography, History,

and Culture Settlements & Colonies Government & Citizenship Economy Technology

North Carolina’s Three Major Regions Mountains Piedmont Coastal Plain

SCIENCE The students will have science in the

classroom. The Common Core concepts of 4th grade are: Ecosystems Force and Motion Matter: Properties and Change Energy: Conservation and Transfer Earth and the Universe Earth History

CLASSROOM DISCIPLINE Our classroom has a behavior chart where each student’s name is

represented by a magnetic square. A child will move his or her square up and down throughout the day as dictated by behavior. Each section on the chart is labeled.

Students all start out each day on “Ready to Learn”. Making good choices throughout the day can result in a child moving up to “Excellent.” Making a poor choice can result in moving down to “Warning.” Our system is fluid, and squares can be moved up or down from any spot at any time depending on student behavior.

The section below Warning is “Teacher Choice.” Students on this level will

either walk the “think-trail” for ten minutes at recess, or have a paragraph to write for extra homework. The section below Teacher Choice is “Parent Contact.” At this level the student writes a one-page letter explaining his or her behavior to a parent. A parent must sign the letter which the child brings back the next school day.

The section above “Excellent” is called “Super Star.” Earning this level gives the student a choice between choosing a prize from the prize box, or having 15 minutes of free computer time the next school day.

4TH GRADE SCHEDULE 7:45-8:45 Math Literacy: Reader’s Workshop 8:45-10:25 10:30-11:15 Specials Literacy 2: Word Study, Writing Workshop,

Guided Reading 11:45-12:45 Lunch/Recess 12:55-1:40 Science/Social Studies 1:40-2:25 Writing 2:25-2:40 D.E.A.R

ASSESSMENTS Reading A to Z MAP Common Assessments Formative and Summative Assessments EOG

PARENT COMMUNICATION Please allow 24 hours for teachers to

respond via: E-mail Agenda Note Phone Call Newsletter Wiki Tuesday Folders

VOLUNTEERING Parent Volunteer Registration

Requirement www.cmsvolunteers.com 

CLASSROOM VISITATION Please sign-in in the office before

visiting your child in the classroom.

Please email us or schedule a conference with us when you need to discuss any issues or have any questions as instructional time cannot be interrupted.

Thank you for your kind attention!

Any Questions?